OAKLAND – Five people were arrested and more than 8 pounds of fentanyl were seized last week in Oakland as part of an ongoing drug investigation, authorities said.
On Aug. 13, the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force served search warrants at a home in the 2400 block of 13th Avenue and at an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in the 2700 block of 78th Avenue, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives detained five people at the 13th Avenue home and found more than $15,000 in cash, authorities said. All five were arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail.
At the 78th Avenue ADU, detectives discovered a “sophisticated operation for mixing fentanyl and pressing it into brick-shaped packages,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said equipment found at the ADU included hydraulic presses, cutting agents, personal protective equipment, scales and Narcan, a medication used to counteract the effects of opioids.
More than 3,800 grams, or about 8.4 pounds, of fentanyl were seized, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid and has been linked to thousands of overdose deaths,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Removing this quantity of fentanyl and the equipment used to process and package it represents a significant seizure in the ongoing effort to prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our communities.”